Refutation - Their SideThis is the section of your paper where you must refute or deny your opponent’s arguments. This refutation, if done correctly, will give your own arguments more strength. Usually you deny the truth of the premises on which the opposing argument is built, or you object to the inferences drawn by the opposition. This denial or objection should be built around your own arguments. In other words, you must poke holes in the arguments your opponent would most logically make in response to you. Use any or all of the types of appeals (logical, emotional, ethical) commonly found in persuasive essays. Remember, you must find a way to make your opponent’s arguments look weak or faulty. Your opponents and his arguments are fair game.

Confirmation - Your Side This is the section of your paper where you provide your arguments, where you prove three or four facts you presented in the previous paragraphs. It is the central part of your essay and quite likely, the longest. If you have captured your reader’s attention and stated the most compelling facts, then it is here that you show why your position concerning the facts should be accepted and believed. Each argument you suggest must take its own paragraph. Do not run your arguments together. This creates a confusing argument. In this section, you should include as many strong references or citations as possible. Since you are not considered to be experts, utilize the ones who are experts to magnify and strengthen your position. Be sure to identify them correctly within the text.